Andoni Luis Aduriz – Keynote Speaker

Andoni Luis Aduriz is undoubtedly one of the most influential chefs of our times. Throughout his career, he has prioritized both culinary evolution and an interdisciplinary approach. This has allowed him to cross the established borders, and become a rebel in the kitchen.

His membership of the Basque Culinary Center, the Ibermatica Innovation Institute and the Innobasque Management Board gives weight to Aduriz’s multidisciplinary attitude, enabling the union between innovation in cuisine and many other related sectors. If these links do not already exist, it is not a problem. Andoni has managed to build bridges between worlds with no apparent relation. His participation in theatrical activities with the la Fura dels Baus group and also the promotion of the documentary film “Mugaritz BSO” are evidence of his versatility as a creator and reveals his courageous attitude when challenging pre-established limits. Aduriz’s aim is, undoubtedly, to seduce us with an experience that encompasses all five senses.

Something like this does not happen overnight. Andoni Luis Aduriz was born in San Sebastian in 1971, a city at the very heart of Basque gastronomy. He began his culinary studies, but after a not entirely successful venture into the academic world, the young Andoni began to express himself by means of tastes and textures. Subsequently, Andoni developed his appreciation for both new the Basque cuisine and local produce. On finishing his studies, he went to Catalonia to work in El Bulli, home of one of the worlds's most renowned chefs Ferran Adrià. This experience opened a world of possibilities to him.

In 1998, Aduriz embarked alone upon his most risky and satisfactory project: Mugaritz, which has been recognized with 2 Michelin stars since 2006. Mugaritz has become synonymous with R+D and the word “restaurant” has ceased to exist. As Aduriz himself acknowledges “It's something more”.

Mugaritz closes for four months a year, a window which is devoted almost exclusively to creativity. “It's a place where we sometimes even serve meals...” The location, with the oak on the border, offers the chef a canvas on which to unleash his creativity, as well as being a place surrounded by tradition and local products. In Mugaritz, Aduriz has managed to achieve a balance between avant-garde and traditional Basque cuisine. His refusal to conform has resulted in countless achievements: since 2006 Mugaritz has figured among the top ten in the list of Restaurant Magazine.

As part of his idea of socialization of the kitchen Andoni Luis Aduriz has given classes in the University of Basque Country, Deusto University and Alain Ducasse training center in France as well as in the school The Culinary Institute of America in United States, among others.

Regarding dissemination, the chef goes a step further. In addition to the above-mentioned courses, Aduriz has also participated in scientific conferences, such as the Conference on Applied Cognitive

Psychology organised by the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, which was held in 2012 at the Kursaal. That same year, also at the Kursaal, Aduriz took part in the in Primary Care Conference, attended by 200 managers. Also, outside the Basque Autonomous Community, the chef was a speaker at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Alicante, and at the Congress of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology held in Seville (2012). All of his activity as a trainer, always based on his experience, has made him a role model, a guide who has encouraged teams in many different areas of operation.

The chef also acts as a consultant on projects such as the Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine (Valladolid), for which Aduriz has been a consultant since 2012. Undoubtedly, Aduriz faces one of the biggest challenges of his career because of the peculiar site chosen for his restaurant, located in a 12th century monastery.

Similarly, in April 2014, the chef will design the culinary range for Healthouse Las Dunas in Estepona (Málaga). The group Kiluva (Naturhouse), owner of the resort, asked the chef to be the consultant for the diet catering service at the highest level that the Healthouse will offer. Thus, with the aim of combining elite and creative cuisine with a nutritious and dietetic food, Aduriz will design the menus for each season, beginning this coming spring, for each treatment offered by the resort: slimming, anti-stress, anti- aging and detox, and he will also work on the different proposals for specific programs to lose weight.

But to speak only about Andoni Luis Aduriz's professional side would be a significant mistake. His human side is represented by his activities, always food related, of course. The chef promotes culinary initiatives annually whose only aim is to raise money for organisations such as Asteamur, L'ataxie Charlevoix-Saguenay Foundation, Starlight Children's Foundation Australia and many others.

The combination of the approach to new disciplines in focussing on cuisine and his tireless care regarding the product have earned Andoni Luis Aduriz numerous awards since his professional career began: